Dear Family and Friends,
This week we had our last multi zone with President McGinn and his wife. It was really good and super fun I will see if I can get some pictures sent to you guys from that. My favorite part was Sister McGinn's life hacks slash tips of which I will try to do a brief summary. It wasn't really necessarily anything new that I had not heard but it was a good reminder.
...Don't go to sleep and miss everything and she shard the story from Rip Van Winkle that some of you will remember from General Conference a couple years back.
...Avoid the phrase "I will be happy when..." that one hit really close to home. It goes a long with what President Nelson taught the youth about not comparing which just so happens to be the next point.
...Don't compare. Work with your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. She shared a quote from Pat Holland who explained how it was to be married to the popular Jeff Holland.
...Be modest.
...Be kind, be kind, be kind.
...Be careful. Do not take that first enticing step to somewhere you should not go or in doing something you should not do. (Summarized quote from President Nelson).
...Don't do dumb things. Then she showed us a picture of her and President's wedding and all the men had on bright orange suits and she regrettably told us that was her idea. Conservative will always be fashionable.
...Live a life of service. Quote from Marjorie Hinkley where she said she doesn't want to show up to the pearly gates in a fancy car or nice clothes. FIND QUOTE.
...Be grateful. Grateful people are happy, not the other way around. Be grateful and express gratitude.
I also read a really good talk by Elder Uchtdorf about what matters most. He quotes Ghandi and says "There is more to life than going faster" or something like that also someone said something like "Simplicity will always be sophistication". Trees understand that when they are going through rough seasons they focus more of their efforts on what matters most so you can tell the history of the seasons based on the rings of a tree. Sure, maybe it didn't grow as much but it continued living.
My study of the Book of Mormon has lead me to more than a few examples of ministering usually Lehi to his sons or Nephi to his brothers. Unlike his brothers Nephi had looked for the reasons as why to be obedient. I imagine that Laman and Lemuel were not too much into reading books and when their dad told them to go back to get one from Laban it didn't sound too flattering. Yet, they go back and everyone knows that story. A short time later their father sends them back to find wives... I imagine there was less murmuring with that last task.
Being so close to the ocean with winter closing in has forced me to bare the cold, and its getting colder. The climate is super humid so the cold is so much worse. At home you could put on hoodie and be fine, here you'd need three.
This week Friday came around and we had zero things going for us when out of no where 5 miracles popped out. When an appointment had fallen through we went to visit Kelly Gil (hill) who we always joke around about visiting because she is never home or if she is we set an appointment for another day and she isn't there. So we passed by and the same thing happened, said she was busy which she really was I don't accuse her of always giving us excuses. So as we started walking away her son who had just pulled into the driveway said he was interested in listening. Raul! It was such a good lesson but a little weird because he knows almost perfect English. So 50% of the time I was talking in English and 50% Spanish. He had spent 8 months in Wisconsin and North Dakota as a life guard. Fast forward to Saturday afternoon and we had an appointment with the mother of one of the recent converts Marjory a 14 year old who has just about as much excitement to share the gospel as a full time missionary. We had been trying to teach her mom forever but her schedule makes it almost impossible. The only time she had was our lunch time so we ate super fast and ran over. Oh it was the perfect lesson. We basically taught 4 lessons in one because after hearing about the Restoration she asked what we believed about tithing and why the Word of Wisdom and the Sabbath Day. She was asking all the right questions. Almost perfect.. But she works on Sunday and she isn't married. But I have no doubt those problems will be solved.
I love my mission, I love everything about it. And I love you all.
Elder Craythorne
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